New Repertory Theatre's 2007-2008 season
is set to include strong characters, life-changing moments and intensely
personal stories from some of the world's finest playwrights.
As announced by Producing Artistic Director, Rick
Lombardo, the schedule will include:
"A Streetcar Named Desire"
Directed by Rick Lombardo
September 11 – October 7
The long-awaited return to Boston of Tennessee Williams’ tale
of repression, carnality, and loneliness comes to New Rep on the 60th
Anniversary of its Broadway debut. Winner of the 1948 Pulitzer Prize,
this masterpiece centers on the story of Blanche DuBois, a fragile relic
of the Old South, and her brother-in-law, Stanley Kowalski, a steel
brute trying to make it in the post-industrial age. Blanche arrives
in New Orleans claiming fatigue, but her concealed and manipulative
neuroses play on Stanley’s animalistic jealousy until the situation
reaches a sweltering heat.
"A House With No Walls"
Director TBA
October 23 – November 18
The grounds of George Washington’s presidential home erupt into
an emotional minefield when two opposing African-American politicos
weigh in on how to honor both American liberty and the memory of the
nine slaves who lived in the eight-by-eight foot square quarters on
site. Their debate is juxtaposed against the experience of Ona Judge,
one of President Washington’s slaves, whose quest for freedom
came at a great price. Based on real events, "A House With No Walls"
exposes a modern challenge of successful African- Americans while revealing
still-hidden prejudices.
Charles Dickens’ "A Christmas Carol"
Adapted by Rick Lombardo
December 9 – December 23
Following the success of last year’s production, New Rep revives
its popular adaptation of Dickens’ classic holiday story, which
brings all the trimmings of a lavish Victorian Christmas. The
production includes a pre-show caroling concert, luxurious period costumes, performers
accompanying themselves on more than a dozen different instruments and
ghosts evaporating into the London fog.
"The Misanthrope"
Director TBA
January 15 – February 10, 2008
Appalled by the conventions of the hypocritical society that surrounds
him, the self-righteous Alceste vows to speak with nothing but total
honesty. Unfortunately, he is blinded by love and falls for the vain
coquette Celimene, who embodies all that he despises. Despite his pleas
to the contrary, Celimene continues to receive suitors, creating the
perfect breeding ground for jealousy and gossip in Molière’s
sharply written comedy.
"Travesties"
Directed by Rick Lombardo
February 26 – March 23, 2008
Historical coincidence and sublime wit collide in Tom Stoppard’s
brilliant comedy. In 1917, three of the most influential revolutionary
figures of the twentieth century – James Joyce, Dadaist founder
Tristan Tzara and Vladimir Lenin – were all living in Zurich.
Stoppard crafts a quirky picture of what may have transpired if these
three men had crossed paths. Meanwhile, British consular, Henry Carr,
who was acting in Joyce’s production of "The Importance of
Being Earnest," becomes Stoppard’s protagonist, taking the
audience on a journey through his memory. What unfolds is an imagined
history told through dazzling wordplay, combining Wilde’s text
and Stoppard’s own undeniable genius.
"Dessa Rose, A Musical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty"
Based on the novel by Sherley Ann Williams
Directed by Rick Lombardo
April 22 – May 18, 2008
New England Premiere
Two outcasts, one a fallen lady of society abandoned by her husband,
the other a pregnant slave sentenced to death on the gallows, are thrust
together. As they attempt escape, they form an uneasy alliance, securing
freedom for them and their infant children. When the journey proves
treacherous, their lives become further intertwined. Forced to transcend
racial barriers, they forge a true friendship that makes them realize
they have far more power together than they ever would alone.
Downstage @ New Rep
After the success of its inaugural season presenting experimental, edgy
and new works, New Rep is back for a second season in its Black Box
Theater, located below the Mosesian Theater in the Arsenal Center for
the Arts. The schedule includes:
"tick, tick…BOOM!"
Director TBA
September 22 – October 21
In this precursor to his ground-breaking masterpiece, "Rent,"
Jonathan Larson weaves an autobiographical account of a 30-year-old
waiter struggling to survive in New York. As Jon attempts to write the
great American musical, all of his friends seem to be finding easy success
in their careers, leaving him behind. Written with contemporary music
and inspirational lyrics, "tick, tick…BOOM!" explores
self-doubt and fear of failure while celebrating the determination of
following your dreams.
"The Santaland Diaries"
Director TBA
December 19 – December 30
After a sold out run at Downstage @ New Rep last season, Crumpet, the
wickedly funny Macy’s Elf returns to the Black Box Theater in
this strange-but-true account of adventures in holiday retailing. If
you’ve had enough of the usual heartwarming holiday fare, it’s
the perfect choice.
An Evening with Pinter: "The Lover" and "Ashes
to Ashes"
Directed by Rick Lombardo
January 19 – February 10, 2008
This duet of Pinter one-acts begins with a tale of the necessity and
danger of fantasy. A husband and wife discuss their affairs openly and
playfully in an erotically charged story of how elegant lives can be
shaken by sexual jealousies. The second half of the evening presents
a darker side of jealousy with another account of a husband and wife
discussing adultery, only this time the game is fun for neither. These
intensely sadistic and pleasurable pieces give us two unique looks at
how deeply passions run and how cold they turn the blood.
"My Name is Rachel Corrie"
New England Premiere
AND
"To Pay the Price"
World Premiere
Director TBA
March 8 – March 30, 2008
One night. Two opposing viewpoints. Two young people lost.
Experience the real stories and the real words of two victims on opposite
sides of the Middle East conflict. First, Rachel Corrie,
a 23-year-old American killed while attempting to stop an Israeli bulldozer
from demolishing a civilian home on the Gaza Strip. Through her
journals and e-mails, hear her compelling quest to find truth and understanding
in a complex situation. Then, jump to the other side of the barbed-wire
fence and back in time to meet Jonathan ‘Yoni’ Netanyahu,
the leader and only casualty of the daring hostage rescue mission at
Entebbe Airport in 1976. Hear what happened that night and the
impact it has had on a generation raised in the reality of war. To Pay
the Price is taken from Yoni’s friends, family, and personal letters.
Subscriptions for New Rep’s 2007-2008 season are
currently on sale. Information on different membership packages
can be obtained by contacting New Rep’s Box Office at 617-923-8487
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OnStage Boston
